The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in t… Read Full Bio ↴The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in the early 60s. Initially they had a squeaky-clean image and were famous for their rich vocal harmonies, rivaling those of The Beach Boys. Between 1964 and 1969, only two Hollies songs failed to reach the UK Top 10. Their most famous member was Graham Nash, who left in 1968 to form the folk supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Two of the core members, drummer Bobby Elliott and lead guitarist Tony Hicks, still perform with The Hollies into the new millennium.

Frequent releases during the mid-60s included many cover versions of popular songs, as well as a few group-penned hits and many songs written especially for them by professional songwriters.

The Hollies were formed in 1962 in Lancashire, England. By 1965,the group had been established as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands. As part of the British Invasion, they enjoyed huge chart success in many countries in the mid-Sixties, releasing a string of classic harmony-pop hits including Bus Stop I'm Alive, a UK No. 1, I Can't Let Go, Stop Stop Stop, Carrie Anne, On A Carousel, Look Through Any Window, and Jennifer Eccles.

In 1972, the hit Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress reached #2 in the US. Their last mega hit was He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, hitting #1 in the UK in 1988 (albeit 19 years after its first release).

The band are noted for their longevity, with their 2006 tour chalking up 45 years. Despite numerous changes in line-up, Tony Hicks & Bobby Elliott have been with the band almost from its inception.

Lead singer Allan Clarke left The Hollies in 1971, though he rejoined the band at later times. He was eventually replaced by Carl Wayne, ex lead singer of The Move, who passed away in 2004. Wayne was replaced by Peter Howarth. The 2007 line up is, Ian Parker on keyboards, Ray Stiles (Ex Mud, remember 'Tiger Feet') on bass guitar and Alan Coates on guitar and vocals by Steve Lauri.

Original bass player Eric Haydock died in January 2018.

The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2010.

Allan Clarke (vocals, 1962-71, 1973-99), Graham Nash (guitar, vocals, 1962-68, 1983), Eric Haydock (bass, 1962-66), Vick Farrell (guitar, 1962), Don Rathbone (drums, 1962-63), Tony Hicks (guitar, banjo, mandolin, electric sitar, vocals, 1963-present), Bobby Elliott (drums, percussion, 1963-present), Bernie Calvert (bass, 1966-81), Terry Sylvester (guitar, vocals, 1969-81), Mikael Rickfors (vocals, 1971-73), Denis Haines (bass, 1981-86), Alan Coates (guitar, 1981-2004), Ray Stiles (bass, vocals, 1986-present), Ian Parker (keyboards, vocals, 1991-present), Carl Wayne (vocals, 2000-04), Peter Howarth (vocals, acoustic guitar, 2004-present), Steve Lauri (guitar, vocals, 2004-present)

09-Fortune Teller
The Hollies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Went to the fortune teller
To have my fortune read
I didn't what to tell her
I had a dizzy feeling in my head

Said she'd take a look at my palm
Said "Son, do you feel kind of warm?"
And she looked into her crystal ball

Said "You're in love"

Said it could not be so
Not with all the girls I know
Said when the next one arrives
Looking into her eyes

I left there in a hurry
Much to my big surprise
The next thing I discovered
The fortune teller told me lies

So I ran back to that woman
Mad as I could be
Told her I didn't see nobody
How she made a fool out of me

At last something shook me
As if it came down from above

And now the fortune teller
And I fell in love

Overall Meaning

The Hollies's song "Fortune Teller" is a classic tale of love and heartbreak, with a twist of fate thrown in. The song begins with the singer visiting a fortune teller to have his future foretold, but he's nervous and unsure about what to say. The fortune teller takes a look at his palm and notices a sign of warmth, and after looking into her crystal ball, she tells him that he's in love.

The singer is skeptical, saying it couldn't be true since he's always around so many girls. However, the fortune teller tells him that when he sees the next girl, he'll know it's true by looking into her eyes. As the story progresses, the singer leaves the fortune teller with a mixed feeling of uncertainty, only to find out the hard way that the fortune teller has deceived him. The final verse reveals that the singer and the fortune teller fell in love, proving that sometimes the things we believe to be true can be misleading, and love can come from unexpected places.

The lyrics of the song are open to interpretation, but one could surmise that the message is about taking risks and being vulnerable. The song encourages listeners to be open to new experiences and to not let fear hold them back from their desires. The fortune teller in the song could represent the unpredictable nature of life, and that sometimes people need to trust their instincts and take a chance on love.

Line by Line Meaning

Went to the fortune teller
I visited a psychic

To have my fortune read
To know what the future holds for me

I didn't what to tell her
I was unsure of what to say

I had a dizzy feeling in my head
I felt disoriented

Said she'd take a look at my palm
The psychic offered to read my palm

Said "Son, do you feel kind of warm?"
The psychic asked me if I was feeling any sensations

And she looked into her crystal ball
The psychic used a crystal ball to see my future

Said "You're in love"
The psychic predicted that I was in love

Said it could not be so
I disagreed with her prediction

Not with all the girls I know
I knew too many girls to be in love with just one

Said when the next one arrives
The psychic said I would know I was in love when I met the next girl